


Magical Methods

by apostapals (apostapal)



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Gender-Neutral Hawke, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7441984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apostapal/pseuds/apostapals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fill. Hawke never learned proper healing. Anders plays patient teacher to try and help them out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magical Methods

“We can’t all be powerful mages, okay? Let me stick to my _trash magic_.”

“Hawke…” Anders gave their arm a little pat, “Don’t get discouraged now.”

The Champion just frowned at him, sulking like an overtired child, and leaned back in their chair. They folded their arms over their chest, for added effect, and refused to look at him.

“Face it.” they said, “I’m just not cut out to be a healer. Maybe I’m not sweet enough.”

“I know for a fact that’s not the reason, at least.” Anders replied with a small chuckle, “But there may be something else getting in your way.”

“Like what?” Hawke asked miserably. They flattened their palms onto the desk and stared down at them, clearly frustrated.

They’d been at this for hours now. A simple healing spell, while possible, wasn’t nearly up to par with even ‘ouchie care’, let alone able to mend a sword nick. Perhaps it was because their father, in all his good teachings, had completely missed the chapter on spirit healing.

Or maybe they were just bad at it.

Anders, however, was refusing to see the reason behind the later suggestion and instead had been very patiently going back through the same directions, offering solutions, and even doing demonstrations for the whole time. His patience was almost maddeningly lengthy and Hawke was certain he’d get tired of it any moment now.

“What are you thinking about when you try it?”

“Healing.” Hawke replied firmly, still staring down their hands.

They watched as Anders’ own carefully took hold of their hands, lifting them up off the desk as if to inspect them, and sighed.

“Are they broken?”

“No.” Anders said, still studying Hawke’s fingers as if there was some answer there, “But you are doing it wrong.”

Hawke groaned loudly and dipped their head forward, resting it on the desk between their elbows. They let their hands fall limply onto the desktop as Anders released them to instead patted gently at their hair.

“If you’d listen, I can tell you what’s wrong. It’s really an easier fix than you’re making it, sweetheart.”

“It’s impossible.”

Their voice was muffled, face pressed to the surface of the desk. It took some coaxing, Anders working his fingers between their cheek and the desktop, but eventually he managed to con them into lifting their head again. He held their face for a moment, thumbs rubbing at their cheeks, before speaking again.

“We’re going to try again.”

“But–”

“And this time,” he cut them off, insistent, “you’re going to think of calming things. Like you’d think about when trying to fall asleep.”

Hawke slumped their back and pressed their cheeks into Anders’ hands.

“I’ll just pass out if I do that.”

“You’re pulling at the Fade when you use spirit magic. Which means the closer you are to it, the better. So you’re going to relax as much as you can and then you’re going to try the spell. Everyone has something that helps them achieve the needed feeling.” Anders explained patiently, still cradling Hawke’s face in his hands, “Personally, I think about purring cats.”

Hawke stuck out their lower lip.

“Come now, there has to be something relaxing you can focus on. Just try it.” Anders coaxed, “For me?”

Hawke straightened their back, Anders releasing their face, and took hold of the healer’s hand. A proper healing spell–one that could at least do something about the cuts and bruises he’d managed to get during their day of adventuring. His hands were important, Maker damn it, they couldn’t let him down on this.

They tried to think of relaxing things. The sound of rain on the tin roof back in Lothering, warm summer days out on the Wounded Coast (without raiders attacking), hot coffee with extra cream…

It wasn’t working. Now they just thought of Darkspawn and heat stroke and caffeine headaches. They were trying too hard, squinting at the callouses on Anders’ fingers, and now they couldn’t cast any healing at all. Let alone better than they’d managed already.

Before they could give up entirely again, Anders spoke.

“Just keep trying, love. You’ve got it.”

So calm, so relaxing. _Soothing._

They thought of his laugh, his smile. All the kind reassurances they’d heard. The healing words getting them through the trials of loss and pain over the years.

The Fade tugged at them, and Hawke tugged back. Gently. Ever so slightly. And healing magic flowed to their hands, enveloping Anders’ and slowly mending the various scrapes. Gradually, the glow faded and Anders gave a soft chuckle, lifting their hands and pressing a kiss to the knuckles.

“See? Easy.”

“Hardly.”

He laughed again, louder this time, and lowered both their hands to the table. Still holding them, unwilling to let go and certainly not required to do so.

“What’d you think of, hmm?” he asked.

“Food.” Hawke replied blandly, fighting to conceal a smile.

Anders arched a brow at them.

“Like, remember those Dalish cookies Merrill made once? Those.”

“Uh-huh. You know, you’re actually a terrible liar.”

Hawke gave up on any hope of hiding their grin. “Well, what do you think it was?” they asked.

“What it’d be like to be a dragon.”

Hawke laughed, leaning forward and pressing their forehead to Anders’ knuckles, and shook their head dramatically. The healer watched, chuckling faintly, and waited for them to recover.

“Oh, now I’m definitely not telling.” they managed to wheeze out between laughter, “Not a chance.”

Anders just smiled, eyes twinkling when Hawke raised their gaze to meet them.

“Well, that’s for the best, then.” he replied, “Considering I may not have been entirely honest with what I think of either.”

Hawke laughed again, squeezing at Anders’ hands, and he felt the Fade tug just slightly at him. He did not need to tug back but, in the back of his being, Justice gave off a faint feeling of contentment.

It worked so many more wonders than purring kittens.


End file.
